6irdview

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Founder and Technical Product Developer at boutique software development agency.

For what projects/services did your company hire 6irdview, and what were your goals?

We've partnered with 6irdview to build a native iOS app. The challenge we aimed to address was based around making older books accessible in audio form. The app accepted scanned pages and converted into audio using a tts sdk.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We've had the opportunity to work with 6irdview on several other projects and working with them on this was a no brainer. They were able to deliver on each of the projects we've worked on thus far.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We discussed the scope during our project kickoff meeting and created wireframes with the designer on the team. Once having completed the wireframes, we created a dev spec to begin development. Completion of development took about 3-4 months.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

A project manager iOS developer Quality Assurance Engineer Backend developer

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Within a month of launching we were able to add several dozen books and authors to the platform.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The team was flexible and met deadlines. We held weekly sprint meetings for design and development. Communication was centralized which kept the project organized.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The synergy, attitude, collaboration ability to deliver quality products.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Overall great team, didn't see anything i could pinpoint as a need for improvement.

Please describe your company and your position there.

At the time of this project, I was the founder and sole employee.

For what projects/services did your company hire 6irdview, and what were your goals?

I hired 6irdview to develop the initial version of a software product. This product's requirements included an uncommon artificial intelligence use case, along with perfomance for real time feedback. The primary goal was to have an MVP that met these functional requirements with acceptable performance.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I found 6irdview through a recommendation. I was in communication with another vender that unfortunately turned down the project because of the artificial intelligence requirements that were outside of their capabilities. This vendor then recommended 6irdview to me. The deciding factor was ultimately the skill specialization required for this project, and 6irdview met them.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The final deliverable was to be an iOS application written in Swift that executes a machine learning model for realtime feedback in a camera view. The work was divided into milestones, which included the user interface, machine learning research and training, and performance tuning. Each deliverable was integrated with the previous deliverable, until all milestones were completed.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I was in contact with two people, the sales representative, then later worked closely with the principal engineer.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The project was successfully launched into the Apple App Store within 6 months. We managed to source hundreds of gigabytes of training data for our machine learning model for a fairly accurate application. Performance was tuned so well that we were able to support devices up to 3 years old at the time.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The project management style was incredibly fluid. Specifications were clearly understood and set early in the project, and I was able to be hands off in most of the process. I had one point of contact that communicated mostly through phone and video call for relaying updates and deliverables

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The product requirements were very steep. I initially had a hard time finding a vendor that was able to accept the project. I was very impressed that 6irdview was able to meet the requirements.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

The quality of work was extremely impressive and communication was fluid, but there wasn't enough documentation to hand off the completed work to future engineering teams. To 6irdview's credit, documentation was not a requirement I communicated to them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Koinage LLC. We have a patent for the development of a change management system, and it’s an app that eliminates the need for consumers to receive coin change after cash purchases. Our software converts the change into digital money, which can be transferred to the customers’ bank account or other platforms. 

What challenge were you trying to address with 6irdview?

6irdview is developing our app for both iOS and Android platforms.

What was the scope of their involvement?

6irdview is handling the development of the app’s features and functionality, which are unique and require a lot of design effort. We have our own ideas in terms of color schemes and layout, and we’ve provided that to their team. They’ve then given us sample designs, documentation, and wireframes, which we either approve or reject. 

Essentially, 6irdview’s task is to develop what’s in the patent and turn it into an app. At present, we’re on the cusp of launching, and the app is completed. However, since we’re in the fintech space, we have to acquire licenses first. After that, we can turn the app on for users and the public. 

So far, we haven’t tackled the cybersecurity aspects of the platform, but 6irdview will be a part of ensuring the app’s security. The same goes for marketing; they’ll be a part of upcoming phases where we’ll do marketing campaigns. 

What is the team composition?

We work closely with two people from their team. One of them is Dagmawi (Managing Partner & Head of Engineering), and the other is a more technical person. I don’t interface directly with designers, developers, and engineers, but I know they’re working behind the scenes. 

How did you come to work with 6irdview?

6irdview was recommended to me when I was designing the app on paper. Initially, I went on a fact-finding mission in San Francisco, California. I interacted with plenty of designers, but nobody could fully understand what I wanted and what Koinage meant. 

Then, I came across an individual who had worked with 6irdview in the past. He said that if anyone could build the app, it would be them. At that time, I was already so disappointed with my mission that I decided they were going to be my last try. Meeting with 6irdview, I described what I wanted, and after a day or so, they came back with a full design that explained how everything would work. It took little time for us to come up with an agreement. From there, our partnership started.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $16,000–$20,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our conversations in 2018, but I took a break to raise funding. After doing that, I reconnected with them in November 2019, and our partnership is ongoing. 

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The app has gained wonderful feedback from users. We’ve received feedback from the teams that have built the LinkedIn and Walmart apps, and they’ve rated it five stars in terms of user-friendliness. We’ve also received feedback from family members. 

Overall, everybody seems to love the app’s layout and what it can do. That’s been one of the best feedback we’ve received. We don’t have feedback yet on how it’s used with real money, but the app itself is highly rated. 

How did 6irdview perform from a project management standpoint?

The 6irdview team has performed well. This is a unique app; no other apps have similar features. As a result, they might have been a bit frustrated with the level of detail, feedback, and micromanagement that I’ve given them. Despite that, they’ve done a great job. They understand what we need and provide us with samples before we give confirmation. That way, we don’t have any wasted resources and funds. 

For communication, we have regular meetings via Zoom and other platforms. I prefer face-to-face meetings, so I would’ve loved to meet them in person to talk about the project if not for the COVID-19 pandemic. Either way, we’ve mostly done remote meetings to communicate issues. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve talked to a lot of other app developers, and their rigidity doesn’t exist among 6irdview team members, who are open to trying something different. My background is nowhere near IT or app development, so I have a limited understanding of what can and cannot work. Luckily, their resources are always open to my suggestions. 

Moreover, I’ve seen no it-can’t-be-done attitude from them; nothing seems impossible. They always research my suggestions and find ways to accomplish them. This has been key to the success of the team. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Since they’re a small company, they can maximize their potential by having better communication systems in place. They can try Webex, where they can do videoconferencing and display information adequately to multiple partners and team members across the globe. Even in my field, this is a huge investment that pays off. As their company grows, they should develop the ability to communicate as if they’re working face-to-face even though they’re not. 

For context, during the development process, I often wished they had the ability to put everything up on a screen so that people from different locations could see their demonstrations in real-time. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re not well-versed in a subject matter, don’t feel the need to sound like an expert. 6irdview is the expert, and it’s ok to tell them what you think. They’ll articulate it in a more technical way for you; they’ll put what’s on paper into practice. In other words, don’t be afraid to be yourself — let your hair down, and let them know what you need.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Center of Excellence International Consult (CEIC), a consultancy firm.

What challenge were you trying to address with 6irdView?

We needed help with mobile app development.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially outsourced our iOS and Android mobile app development to 6birdView. Then, we needed to connect it to software. The third deliverable was producing the documentation on the mobile app.

To jumpstart the project, we provided them with the root code and how the application needed to function. Additionally, they provided services for our website, which is used for other projects that we have.

On the other hand, the app is used by data collectors in Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Uganda. They have local data collectors for these member countries. The app receives data and syncs it to the server with an internet connection. After collecting the data, it has a conflict early warning system. Any potential conflict in these member countries can be analyzed, and the app provides feedback.

What is the team composition?

We had 3–4 people directly involved. We were mainly in contact with two people.

How did you come to work with 6irdView?

A co-worker knew 6birdView and suggested them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2020, and the relationship is ongoing.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They’re very dynamic, and their team is very talented and innovative. We’re very happy with their work; we get good feedback on it.

How did 6irdView perform from a project management standpoint?

I took over the communication with the client because they were working directly under me. Once we developed the conceptual report, we indicated the project time. I’ve guided them to stick with time schedules. They have their own project management tool to track their work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re an innovative and hardworking team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Since they were young, they wanted everything to go off schedule in the beginning. They’ve been patient and improved that.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you guide them, you can get the most out of them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a gym membership platform.

What challenge were you trying to address with 6irdView?

We needed help building out our application.

What was the scope of their involvement?

6irdView developed our web and mobile application for iOS. It's a simple map-based platform. A user logs-in to see a bunch of gyms labeled on the map. The user checks one out and uses the camera within the app to scan a QR code to check-in. While I helped create the wireframes for the mobile app, I didn’t for the web version. Their team built out all the technical components for both platforms in Swift and used a bunch of CocoaPods.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a project manager.

How did you come to work with 6irdView?

I knew a teammate from 6irdView previously.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $2,500 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in June 2019, and it wrapped up in October.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Their team did an awesome job designing the application, but they had some issues completing the project in its entirety. We just launched the app, so there aren’t any metrics yet.

How did 6irdView perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Trello to keep track of progress. I was one of their first clients so they’re still figuring their process out. At times, communication was bad. Their team was late to deliver as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their range was impressive being that 6irdView was able to create a web and iOS app. They knocked the design out of the park.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Communication and timeliness could be improved.